I done got me a leaky gas tank in my '64 Valiant wagon. I'm figuring upon getting a new tank instead of trying to patch the tank, and instead of getting a used tank of unknown condition from the junkyard.

Are there things I should keep in mind or prepare for so that this job goes smoothly?

Should I go ahead and get a new fuel level sender while I'm at it?

Is a new filler tube grommet recommended in all cases?

Any comments regarding the gas tanks they sell at Paddock?

Are there any pitfalls I should be aware of so as not to make this job more difficult than it needs to be?

I've changed a bunch of tanks before....It's pretty easy, just try to get as much gas out of the old tank as possible. Do the earlier Valiant wagons use the 1 strap to hold it in? It's really no big deal. As far as the float/leverl sending unit, most problems with those are usually due to a bad ground connection. Is the fill tube welded onto the tank, or does it slide in with a thick ruber gasket? If it's welded on, make sure you specify you want a tank already equipped with the fill tube

I would plan on replacing the sock (strainer) and the float - most of the
time the sender is okay - but the float has pin holes and the sock is
split. I got a tank for my son's 63 dart from gastanks.com (Quanta).
The socks and floats are available from them also but you may have to
call on the phone to get the part number (it only shows on the web
when they have stock)

The brand "American Designers" is also sold by jcwhitney and
inlinetube.com. If the wagon is the same as the passenger car
you should be able to get the tank for 180 plus shipping.

Like the previous post said - watch the grounding - the original
fuel line clamp provided a ground path between the sender steel
line and the steel line on the car body.

I tried for several months to seal up the old tank on my '65 dart. I used JB weld, various tank sealers, and Boeing magic airplane glue. Nothing held. I then picked up a new gas tank off ebay for $113 plus shipping, This was the 18g Canadian made CR11A for '63 to '66 A-bodies, which is what most of the part houses sell for about $100 more. It is nicely made and swapped into the car without any problems. I found a pin hole in the senders float and soldered it up, All gas tank problems are now solved.

Some tips on swapping a fuel tank on a 63-66 A Body wagon.
- Tanks are the same as the passenger cars but the filler tube is "wagon only".
- Remove the floor pan to filler tube rubber cover and pull it up the tube a few inches. (located under the spare tire panel, 5 screws)
- Loosen the 3 filler neck to fender screws, I remove the top screw and loosen the other 2 about 1/2 way.
- Clean the end of the filler tube, lightly sand it so there are no burrs or sharp edges to scratch the seal.
- Use a light coat of oil on the filler tube / neck seal so the tube slips-in easily.

With wagons, you have to pull the filler tube down a few inches to start the tube into the seal and still clear the spare tire "well". Loosing the filler tube helps you do this.
DD

I was wondering if anyone knew what Canadian company Kesteb was referring to in his post about new fuel tanks CR11A.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Sandy, that would be Spectra Premium Products, headquartered in Boucherville, QC. Looks like they have repro tanks for '63, '64-'66, '67, '68-'70, '70 ECS + 71, and '72-'76 A-bodies, as well as new complete fuel pickup/gauge sender units for these cars. Heater cores, too.